Chapter Seven
The car rolled to a stop outside Mami's apartment building. Rina turned to Mami.
"Look Mami," said Rina. "I'm sorry about how I treated you."
"It's okay," replied Mami. "I wasn't any better myself. I remember something about slapping you and calling you selfish."
"Yeah," said Rina. "You did that."
"I'm sorry," said Mami.
There was a silence, Rina looked up at the building Mami lived in. It was the first time she had gotten a good look at it. It was run down, with electrical cables criss-crossing it like giant snakes. Several tiles were missing as were several bricks. It looked the sort of building that should be earmarked for demolition.
"God Mami," exclaimed Rina. "Why do you live in this hovel?"
"It's the only place I can afford," said Mami. "Since my divorce, he took everything from me. My daughter, my money, even my dignity."
Rina's dislike for Mami's ex husband deepened, her sympathy grew.
"Is that why you sweep the streets?" asked Rina.
"No," said Mami. "I sweep the streets because it's all I can do. No one will hire a sad divorcee who's been cleaned out by her over zealous ex."
She sighed and fell silent. At once Rina leaned over and hugged her. Mami returned the hug and they embraced for a long minute.
"Mami," she said as they broke apart. "If you ever need anything, just let me know."
"The only thing I need is for us to convince Haruna to join us," replied Mami at once.
Rina smiled. That was easier said then done.
"We'll try," she said.
"Thank you," said Mami.
She made to leave the car. Rina grabbed her arm.
"Wait!" she said. There was a silence.
"Would you like to come to ours for Sunday lunch?" she asked. "Yuki would like to see you."
Mami thought for a moment.
"Okay," she replied finally. "I would like that."
She nodded and got out of the car. She closed the door with a snap. Rina sat at the roadside for a moment before she slowly began to drive off. Mami watched her leave before she turned and made her way back to her house.
Mami's front door opened slowly. Light from the corridor filled the pitch black room. It fell on her small collection of possesions. She clicked on the light. A weak, yellowish incandescent glow crept along the small sitting room. She entered her home and closed the door quietly behind her. She crossed the room and entered the bedroom. She flicked on the light and went to her bed.
She bent down and placed her hands on the side of a large black box. She pulled it out and hoisted it onto her bed. The bed bounced as it took the weight of the huge box. It was caked in dust, indicating that it hadn't been opened in several years. She wiped the dust off to see the name "Yamaha" complete with the logo embossed in gold writing. She felt around the edges and found two clips. She lifted them and opened the case slowly.
Inside the case was a Yamaha Pacifica in black and white colour scheme. Several chips and scratches could be seen on the otherwise pristine paintwork. A small tear leaked from her eye as she looked at her guitar. She took hold of it and gently prised it out of the box. She held it tightly in her hand and caressed it carefully, taking in every detail of the instrument.
Holding the guitar in one hand, she placed the case on the floor and perched herself on the edge of her bed. She took a moment to feel the steel strings under her fingers. She threw the strap around her shoulders and allowed her back to take the weight of the instrument. It felt heavier then she remembered, but perhaps it had been such a long time, or maybe she was weaker then the last time she held it. She was more likely to believe the latter of the two. She pulled out her cellphone and held it in front of her to take a picture of herself and her guitar. She then sent it to Rina.
Rina pulled into her front drive as she received the message from Mami. She opened it to see the photograph of her with her guitar. She smiled.
"That's the Mami I remember," she replied back.
Mami read the reply and beamed.
"Good luck with Haruna," she sent.
Rina smiled but didn't reply. She climbed out of her car and made her way back to her house.
Mami placed her cellphone on the bed behind her. She then made herself more comfortable on her bed with the guitar. She placed her fingers on the neck of the guitar to make a note, with her left hand she began to strum and pluck the strings of her guitar. She'd only been playing a few seconds when she stopped. The pain in her fingers had become unbearable. She shook her hands and tried once more. After a few seconds, she had to stop playing once more. Several attempts later, she had achieved nothing more except severe pain in her fingers. Mami looked down at them to see that they were in fact bleeding.
She took off her guitar and placed it carefully on the bed. She made her way to bathroom and ran her fingers under the running water. After several minutes she pulled them out and dried them. She returned to her bedroom to find that she had bled all over guitar. The clock on the wall read, 10.05pm. It was very late and tomorrow she would be working. She replaced the case under her bed and rested her guitar in pride of place next to her bed. She stared at it for a moment with an expression of happiness and disbelief. She tore her eyes from it and began to get ready for bed.
It was very hard for Mami to concentrate on her job the next day. She kept missing the trash can she was aiming for as she swept the streets around her neighbourhood. The small piles that she had made kept being blown around due to her failure to clean them up. She kept pausing every few minutes to check her phone in case any of her "band mates" called her. However, throughout the day nothing came through.
However, that afternoon just as she was sat down to enjoy a cup of tea after another uneventful day sweeping the streets there was a knock at her door. She looked up from the newspaper curiously. The only people that knocked on her door was her wretched ex husband. There was a second knock on the door. Her first thought was to ignore it but curiousity got the better of her and she opened the door.
A man wearing a crisp business suit stood in her doorway. Her first thought was that he might be lost. But then she realised she lived on the 6th floor, he wouldn't trapse all the way up to her house to ask for directions. He could just ask the officer at the police box down the road.
"Can I help you?" asked Mami.
"Yes," he replied at once. "I'm looking for a Mami Sasazaki."
"You've come to right place," she said.
The man smiled at her.
"Can I come in?" he asked polietly. "We have some business to discuss."
Mami stepped aside to allow him to enter her home.
The besuited man entered the house and Mami closed the door. She gestured for him to sit on her moth eaten sofa. Mami bustled into the kitchen and returned with a tray laden with two cups and a glass pot of green tea. She placed them on the coffee table in front of them and sat in the chair opposite him.
"What business do you wish to discuss with me?" asked Mami as she poured tea.
"Your daughter," he replied at once.
Mami almost dropped the teapot in surprise.
"Pardon me?" she asked.
The man dug into his inside pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to her. She took it with shaking hands.
"I'm a lawyer," he said. "Kihiro is my name. I'll be taking your case for custody."
"A lawyer?" replied Mami. "But I can't afford you. No offence, but lawyers are expensive."
He flushed.
"No need to worry," he said. "You're not paying. Your friend Rina is."
"NO!" shouted Mami. "I can't."
She thrust his card back at him.
"I can't," she said. "I can't accept your help. It's not fair. Rina can't afford to go to court. She has a family."
"Rina is a friend of mine," he said. "She teaches my daughter at school. I'm doing her a favour."
Mami was quiet for a second.
"You want to see your daughter don't you?" he asked. "You want her back more than anything else in this world."
Mami nodded.
"Please let me help you," he said softly. "I can get your daughter back."
"You can?" said Mami.
He nodded.
"Sure," he said softly. "You have a very good case. But you need to let me help you."
Mami nodded. She sat down slowly. Kihiro opened his briefcase and took out a notepad and a pen.
"Okay Mami," he said. "I need you to tell me everything, right from the beginning."
Mami sighed.
"Well..." she began. "It all started when..."